The Nuzlocke Chronicles
by cj3003
Summary: A teen named Cj from Kalos heads on a new journey, but soon discovers that his equipment is malfunctioning. With the Pokeballs hardly working and his Pokemon vulnerable, Cj must try to face the Pokemon League with the mental burden of knowing that his Pokemon could die if he isn't careful. He must figure what, or who, is causing this before it's too late. (Updates every Wednesday!)
1. Chapter 1: Bad Luck

The disc flew rapidly in the air. Twirling and whipping, it made a quick whooshing sound. These were quickly followed by fast footsteps. Tap tap tap! The frisbee was snatched up swiftly, the creature snapping it tight in its mouth. Landing on the ground with precision, making it's way back to the disk's origin. Dropping the frisbee on the ground, it looked up.

A hand reached out, patting its head.

"Good boy, Spark!"

He stood from his crouched position, disk in hand. His name was Cj. He was a young adult, at 18 years of age. His Jolteon tilted its head a bit, pondering at his hesitation. Reading the Pokemon's body language, Cj cracked a small smile.

"How about this time you use Thunder Wave to catch the disk?" Cj suggested to the Pokemon. Spark nodded, eager to play more.

Purposefully, Cj threw the disk a bit short so it didn't fly past his fence of his small backyard. Locking its gaze the object, Spark used the static within its fur to jolt forward, covering an astonishing distance in one leap. Using the fence as a platform, it bounced like a shot toward the frisbee, catching it once more. As it landed, Spark straightened its posture as if it was flashing a victory pose. Cj clapped briefly, congratulating it.

Just then, he heard a gentle tap behind him. Turning, he spotted his mother, Grace. She stood leaning in the doorway to the inside casually, quickly ruffling her messy brown bob cut hair. She had sea blue eyes like Cj himself, and her soft gaze reflected the gentleness in her personality.

Cj stood upright, looking to his mother. Though he was just about full grown, he and Grace were almost the same height.

"Eheh, hello mother!" Cj smiled, rubbing his neck. He had forgotten to get dressed, so he was in his pajamas while playing with Spark.

Grabbing something from her back, she presented something to Cj.

"I thought you might want this. It's from Professor Sycamore."

A neat envelope was in her hand.

"The professor?" Cj thought. "What could he want?"

As he grabbed the thing from Grace, she smiled.

"I think it's finally time, Calem."

Opening the letter, Cj's eyes widened. It read this:

 _Dear Cj,_

 _I have selected you amongst four other aspiring trainers to serve under my lead. What I ask of you is simple: If you agree to serve under me, you will receive a Pokedex prototype to take with you. This device will automatically record data of any Pokemon you catch, like a regular one would. The only difference is that a few of the features are quite new. Now remember, you still have to register like every other trainer. Good luck!_

 _\- Professor Sycamore_

Cj closed his eyes, a wide grin on his face. He's been waiting for this day his whole life, it seems like. Even as a kid, Cj loved to be with Pokemon. While his mother competed in the Rhyhorn Races, he'd be in his Junior Breeding program that taught him how to properly raise Pokemon. For a while, he wanted to be a breeder, but… Then his younger brother, Clemont became a trainer. Clemont was considered a genius, learning college material at the age of 10. Grace saw that he also had a passion to be a trainer, and this passion then inspired Cj.

Though he had gotten a few opportunities in the past, but his mother pushed him to finish his education first. He unfortunately wasn't as gifted as Clemont. But Cj understood, he was very close to finishing school anyway when he starting getting letters. Luckily, he had just graduated.

"So, I'm guessing it was what I thought it was?" Grace wondered.

Cj nodded eagerly, "Yes! The professor specifically asked for me to go out and test this Pokedex prototype."

"Well then, I suppose that's it! You're finally becoming a Trainer, hmm?"

Grace waved her son indoors, "Come on, Cj. You'd better get around."

Nodding, Cj walked indoors, Spark trotting close behind. The two made their way upstairs into his and Clemont's room. Cj grabbed the doorknob and entered. The room was a bit messy, but it was understandable, since two boys were living in there. Cj spotted Clemont in the corner of the room, his gaze glued to a book. It was apparently a science journal. He noticed his brother come in behind him, and he swiveled his chair to face Cj.

"Heya, Cj!" Clemont greeted. Cj briefly waved with his other hand in his pocket. Walking up, he tossed the letter onto the desk.

"Check it out Clem," Cj said while walking to his side of the room. As Clemont skimmed over the letter, Cj changed his clothes. He grabbed up a white T-shirt that had a Thunderstone design on the front, and slipped it on along with a brown pair of pants. Snatching the pair of black combat boots from under his bed, he tied them tightly to his feet. Standing in front of the mirror, he admired what was about to become a trainer. Something was missing… His glance noticed Spark holding his black beanie in its mouth.

"Aw, how kind of you, Spark!" he laughed, patting its head. It yipped in response, smiling.

Placing it carefully over his messy, medium length blond hair, he nodded. Perfect.

"Oh wow! So you are gonna become a Trainer then?" Clemont asked.

Cj nodded, "I even get a new Pokedex prototype!"

Clemont chuckled, "Ah, lucky! The regular ones are pricey, you are lucky to even have gotten one in the first place."

He stood from his desk, "Say, Cj. Could I come with you? I need to head to Lumiose City anyway, and I can help you out with the basics to battling."

"I don't see why not, I could certainly use the help."

The boys went down the stairs, being greeted with Grace at the bottom. She held out Cj's old school backpack, now practically exploding with contents. Cj rubbed his neck, blushing a little.

"Uh, Mother? Do I really need that much?"

She laughed, "I promise, I only packed the necessities!"

After a bit, the two started to head out the door. Cj noticed a tug on his pants. Spark was trying to hold him back!

He bent down, Spark giving him puppy eyes.

"Aww, don't worry buddy," Cj consoled, petting him, "I'll visit as much as I can."

Cj and Clemont made their way over to the Pokemon Center in their town. This Pokemon Center is relatively new in Vaniville, added to promote people in Vaniville and Aquacorde Town to become trainers. As they got close to the Center, Cj spotted a girl lounging outside it, occasionally checking her smartphone for the time. She wore a black top with a neatly folded collar, the bottom of it being covered by a crimson shirt that went past her hips. A purse was laying slump on her shoulder, looking a bit swollen with things inside it. Stockings covered most of her legs, black shoes covering up her feet. She adjusted her pink hat impatiently.

"Serena's here?" asked Clemont curiously.

At this point, she noticed the two of them. Happily, she made her way to Cj in a swift manner, embrace him in a hug. He hugged tightly back, swinging her around a bit. Serena slipped to the ground, beaming. Clemont scoffed with a grin, crossing his arms.

"I know you're dating, but you two act like you haven't seen each other in years."  
Serena shrugged, "To be fair, I was working hard to find college opportunities. Haven't really gotten a chance to enjoy the summer so far. Or be with Cj, for that matter."

"Wish I could say the same," Cj chuckled, "I've just been enjoying the time off."

Clemont tapped his chin, "Say Serena, why were you hanging out at the Pokemon Center? Are you running an errand for your parents or something?"

She shook her head, pulling a paper out of her bag. Cj looked closely. It was a letter from Sycamore identical to his!

"So, you are one of the five, then?" Cj questioned, pulling out his own, "I am too."

Serena looked surprised, as she scanned the letter.

"I thought you wanted to go to an art college, Serena," Cj said, a bit confused.

As he found out quickly from dating her, Serena loved to paint. On the weekends when she wasn't studying hard or watching Pokemon tournaments, she'd paint. Her room was usually filled with canvases, blank or painted. She even got Cj into her hobby. They'd spend time together painting with soft music in the background. Though, it was more Cj attempting to paint while Serena watched him and gave him advice, occasionally adding strokes to her own canvas.

Her artistic prowess and academic achievements made Cj wonder why she'd drop everything just to be a trainer. Unlike himself, Cj thought, she had a future lined up for her. She'd get colleges from all over trying to recruit her into their place. So to Cj, it was puzzling.

She sighed, her vibrant eyes losing their sparkle. Ruffling her honey colored hair under her hat, she spoke.

"My parents… They're both star trainers, remember? My dad was even the Champion for a while."

Cj nodded sympathetically, his own eyes drifting downward.

"So they wanted you to follow their path then?"

"Exactly. They hardly gave me a choice."

A flash of anger came over Cj, forcing him to clench his fist. He just didn't understand why her parents wouldn't be supportive. Even though he knows them only briefly, he recognized that her parents always were upset when Serena painted, as she wasn't trying to sharpen her trainer skills. They didn't really like Cj well, as he influenced her to continue down the artistic path.

Noticing his anger, Serena gently held Cj's hand. In surprise, he looked into her eyes. She attempted to smile.

"Look, it's fine. My parents made a good point; Pokemon Training will give me good money, and it's difficult to make money from painting," Serena reasoned.

He nodded, realizing there wasn't much he could do. Serena placed a hand softly on his cheek.

"It's very kind of you to care, though."

At this point Clemont broke the two up, "Yeesh, I'm still here, y'know! Can you save the sappy stuff for when you're alone?"

The two of them blushed simultaneously. Cj rubbed his neck with an embarrassed smile.

"R-right, Clem! Sorry."

Glancing around quickly, Cj noticed that no other trainers were around.

"So where are the other five that the professor called," Cj wondered.

"They've already started their journey, I think. We are a bit late, y'know." As she said that, she flashed a sly smile to Cj, who chuckled a little in a sort of apologetic way.

They decided to go inside. The Center looked like how you'd expect: a hygienic white color on everything, a few potted plants, a small waiting area with a mini bookshelf and bright lights. A string of PCs were next to the right wall. A Trainer was video calling another, apparently discussing travel plans. To the left, a small changing room lay empty with seats outside it, as if expecting a line. Kalos does like it's fashion, however, Cj thought.

On the right, a couple of employees were running a mart, selling battle items and the like. Next to that were double doors with circular windows, probably leading into the back where more urgent matters were taken care of.

But what caught his eyes was the center of the place. The main reception desk was a bit cluttered with things were the office chair lay. A huge monitor above it displayed a cluster of news and headlines, weather, a map, and other miscellaneous info. Six slots for Pokemon were in the center of it, showing the status of any Pokemon that were placed in healing machine below. The healing machine looked to have slots for Pokeballs and also a place for a Pokemon outside it's ball.

A nurse stood as the receptionist for the place. They walked up to the desk, the nurse smiling brightly as she noticed them.

"Good afternoon, welcome to the Pokemon Center! My name is Nurse Francis. how may I assist you?" the nurse asked in a polite manner.

Cj started by pulling out the letter from his pack, "Hello, miss. Me and my girlfriend were told by Professor Sycamore to come here to register as Trainers and use his Pokedex prototype."

Nurse Francis nodded, ducking down and pulling out two Pokedexes from her desk. It looked like a red square with a circular pattern in the middle with two disjointed parts. The nurse demonstrated how to use them briefly, and then walked them over to a machine next to the desk.

"If you place your Pokedex in this machine, it will register it to you."

Placing it in there, the monitor above the desk lit up with a brilliant blue color. Cj took step back in surprise.

 **Thank you for using the Pokedex. This model is KLS-101213-VI, at**

 **your service.**

 **Please state your full name.**

"Whoa, it speaks!" Cj gasped.

 **Name not recognized, please repeat.**

"Uh… My name is Calem James Blanc."

Please state your gender and age.

"Male and… 18."

 **No registered trainer match found. Would you like to register for the**

 **Official Pokemon League?**

"Yes, please."

 **Contacting the League, please hold…**

 **Congratulations, Mr. Blanc! Your Trainer ID is 514… BZZT!**

Just then the machine sparked and the lights flickered along with anything else connected to the grid. A horrible zapping sound rang through the air, but then the machine kicked back on. The voice was a bit distorted, adding to the overall obscurity of the situation.

 **Congratulations, Mr. C- BZZT! Your Trainer ID is 00375. Thank you for**

 **registering!**

Nurse Francis pulled the Dex out without saying anything. She read the worried face of Cj and rubbed her neck.

"Heh, sorry! The machine has been seeing extensive use. And with all hands on deck to fix the Lumiose Blackout, it's hard to find a mechanic to come and fix it. Don't worry, the Pokedex should be undamaged."

The machine also generated a card for him, with all the appropriate information.

Serena also registered, but the machine worked perfectly for her. Of course, Cj thought, it was probably just his bad luck. After they were both registered, the nurse went under the desk. After a moment, she pulled out a capsule.

"What's that?" Serena asked her.

The lady smiled politely, "Well, you are Pokemon Trainers, aren't you? You are going to need Pokemon! Professor Sycamore requested I gave you these to accompany you."

The capsule lit up just then, showing three images holographically. One was of a rodent-like Pokemon, and the other of a fox-like Pokemon. The last was a blacked out image of what appeared to be a frog-like Pokemon.

The nurse explained, "These are three starter Pokemon that the Professor handpicked for the three Trainers in Vaniville. I'm afraid that a girl already claimed the Froakie here. So you have a choice between Chespin, a Grass type Pokemon or Fennekin, a Fire type Pokemon."

"You can go first, sweetie," Cj told Serena. She nodded, grabbing out the a Pokeball. It contained Fennekin!

Cj looked down at the remaining Pokeball. Looking into it, he could see his own reflection, warped by the curve of the ball.

"So, this is it," he thought, "My first Pokemon."

Slowly, he reached out and grabbed it. The metal was a bit cold, but once he held it for a moment, it suddenly pulsed with a warm heat. It was rhythmic pulses, almost like a heartbeat, reminding him what was inside.

"Good luck on your journey, make the Professor proud!" called Nurse Francis.

Just as the gang started to make their way out of the door, Clemont stopped and turned back to Nurse Francis.

"I'm sorry to bother you more," Clemont started, "But you mentioned a blackout in Lumiose?"

She nodded, "It happened just yesterday night."

Clemont yelled in frustration, "Ahh! Those idiots! Don't they know what precious equipment is in my gym? And the power still isn't on?! All of it could be fried!"

He quickly turned to Cj, "Brother, Serena, we must make haste to Lumiose City, or all might be lost!"

And without another word, Clemont dashed out, exclaiming out things like "Foolish mechanics!" or "Even with all this advancement, we still have idiots!"

Serena giggled, "He certainly had a boost in energy."

"Some things never change," Cj chuckled.

Nurse Francis waited for the two to leave the Pokemon Center. Picking up the phone at her desk, she dialed a strange number.

Someone picked up.

"Is it done?" they asked.

"Yes. He didn't suspect a thing," she said, cracking a small smile.

"Good work, I'll have your payment to you immediately."


	2. Chapter 2: A League's Broken Promise

The group had done a bit of walking at this point. They had passed through Aquacorde Town, a butting rival of Vaniville. Cj remembered how the two towns would get so riled up during things like sporting events. It wasn't too uncommon for the crowd to start yelling at each other instead of routing for their team. Being a proud resident of Vaniville, Cj didn't want to spend anymore time in Aquacorde if he didn't have to.  
Serena held up the group. She pointed out a sign that had a Pokeball on it.

"I'm going to head over to that shop and get some battle supplies," she told the boys. Clemont nodded, "I'd better stock up too. Once the blackout's over, the gym's certainly going to have a handful of challengers."

As they started to walk, they noticed that Cj wasn't following. Serena tilted her head, "Coming?"

Cj pulled out the Pokeball that contained his Chespin, feeling the pulse once more. In truth, he wanted to see what it was all about. Shaking his head, he looked up to his peers.

"I'm going to try out my new Pokemon while you guys are shopping."

They nodded, leaving him behind. Sitting on a nearby bench, Cj looked down at the Pokeball again, studying the details of the device. He was a little nervous. What if his Pokemon didn't like him? He shook his head, clearing such trivial questions. No time like now, he supposed.

Cj threw out the ball with an underhand toss. The ball flew in a small arch in the air, but then hovered for a moment, the ball itself still spinning. Suddenly, a white flash erupted from the thing, dashing towards the ground. The light seemed like clay, molding as it moved. Finally, it shaped into a small creature. The ball mystically came back to him, Cj catching it with ease.

The small creature looked rodent like. It faced forward, only allowing him to see its back. The thing was green in the back, but sand colored in the front. It's head was rounded, and it almost looked like it was wearing a hood with little protrusions coming out of it. It had a sleek tail and clawed feet, but flimsy arms and paws. Standing on two feet, it couldn't be any bigger than Cj's calf.

Suddenly, the Pokemon spun around, facing Cj now. It crossed its small arms, shutting its brown eyes and turning away from its Trainer. Wiggling its small triangle nose, it scoffed.

"So, you're my Trainer then? Don't look like one."

Cj's jaw dropped.

"Y-you can talk?!" Cj whispered, tried to not bleat out in surprise.

It opened one eye, "Well, duh. We Pokemon can all talk to our trainers. Are you meaning to tell me you didn't know that?"

Cj rubbed the back of his neck, "Eh, no… I'm a bit of a novice trainer."

"Fine then, I suppose I'll be a little easier on you," the Chespin grinned, "My name is Wei, at your service."

He held out his tiny paw. Cj shrugged, shaking it's paw, well erm, more like his whole arm. Smirking, Cj realized he could grab all of Wei's arm in just one hand.

"So then, I suppose I'm your starter then? Never had another Pokemon?" Wei questioned. Yeesh, Cj didn't know his Pokemon would be interviewing him!

"Well, I have a pet Jolteon," he responded, "Which I wanted to ask; how's come I can talk to you and not him?"

The Chespin shook its head, "Simple. He's your pet, not your Pokemon. Trainers have a special connection with their Pokemon. I feel what you do and vice versa."

Cj gulped. "Do I feel your pain too?"

Wei smiled mischievously, "Only a little."

Suddenly, Wei stopped. Lifting his chin up, he sniffed the air. Swiftly, he climbed up Cj's body, resting at the top of his head.

"Hey! What's the idea?" Cj yelped.

Wei stared at the shop where Cj's friends went into. Noticing his gaze, he looked too. They were out!

Serena waved to Cj with a happy smile. Blushing a little, he haved back.

"Oh, she's pretty!" Wei smirked, tapping Cj's forehead, "Is she your girlie-friend?"

Cj took of his hat quickly and put it back on, making sure Wei was under it.

"Quiet, you!" Cj scolded.

Wei giggled, poking his head from under Cj's beanie.

Serena was close to him now, laughing a little herself.

"I see you've made quick friends with your Pokemon!" she smiled.

Cj sighed with a small laugh, "If you can call us that…"

Wei frowned, attempting to slap Cj. Of course, with his small paws, it felt like a soft tap.

"Ouch!" Cj fake-yelled with a grin.

Ruffling in her bag, Serena pulled out a pouch of Pokeballs. Giving them to Cj, she looked to him.

"For you. I figured you'd want more than just one Pokemon."

He nodded in thanks, and the crew walked out from the edges of town. As they made their way past the bridge, they spotted a group of three ahead. They were standing in V formation, almost menacingly. The one in the very front was a girl their age, wearing a pink shirt with three black bowtie patterns going down and short-shorts below that. Her hair was fashioned in some sort of pigtails, but a lot more fashionable than, say, a second grader's pigtails. She wore eyeliner around her greens eyes and a wide smirk on her lips.

Behind her was a shaggy haired redhead, being a bit short and lean. He stood awkwardly, hardly paying mind to them. He wore a green polo and brownish pants, looking a lot younger than the girl. Next him was a doofy looking kid, a bit big in size. His black hair was shaved on the sides and spiky on top. He wore a black shirt with a Pokemon printed on the front and orange shorts below that.

The girl scoffed, "Look at what Vaniville has to offer these days, boys."

Cj's face was blank and confused, "Huh?"

Serena on the other hand, was much less confused. As if a fire raged in her soul, her normally lax nature was shattered into bits as the inner fire showed itself.

"Oh, what _Vaniville_ has to offer? I feel bad for Aquacorde, having to have you all up in it! I'd say the town might be worthwhile without you in it, Shauna!"

She gritted her teeth, clenching her fists as they shook.

"Don't tell me that the Professor asked you to do this too," Shauna scoffed with a disgusted face.

Serena placed her hand on her hips proudly, "For your information, yes he did."

Shauna shrugged, "I suppose it can't be helped." She then sent out her Pokemon. It was that frog Pokemon that wasn't available to them!

"Why don't you battle me and my Froakie, dearest Serena? I need the experience after all, I wasn't born into some stellar Trainer family like you."

Serena grabbed at her Pokeball decisively, but then hesitated/

Shauna shook her head, "What's wrong, Serena? Don't think you'll live up to your expectations and lose? It's okay to decline."

Cj could see that Shauna's words were piercing her like daggers.

"N-no!" she yelled, "I have a type disadvantage, is all! S-since you were foolish enough to show me your Pokemon before battling, I know that. It wouldn't be smart for me to accept."

She looked to Cj, grabbing his arm, "But Cj here will!"

He gasped in surprise, "W-wait, what?!"

Shauna grinned, "My, my. This here look like a real trainer. And a _cute_ one at that."

Cj blushed brightly. Serena stepped in front of him, her face scrunched up in frustration.

"Don't look, just battle!"

"Well then," Shauna nodded, "I pick Froakie. Go!"

The frog squeaked in understandance, jumping out in a battle stance. Cj cleared his throat awkwardly, adjusting his own stance to be more battle ready. Pointing outward, Cj beckoned for his own Pokemon.

"Eh… Go, Wei!"

Slipping out from Cj's hat, Wei jumped down, eager to battle.

"Let the battle start!" Shauna shouted.

There was a long pause. Cj looked around in confusion, breaking his confident stance. He scratched his neck.

"Um, attack?" Cj muttered out awkwardly.

Wei shook his head in frustration, "You've gotta tell me what move to use, Cj!"

Shauna laughed, pointing, "Ha, too slow! Tackle!"

Her Pokemon hopped at lightning speed, barreling towards Wei. Defenseless, all poor Wei could do was brace for impact. The Froakie slammed into Wei, causing him to fly back. Cj felt this himself, noticing a pressure at his stomach, forcing him to lose his breath momentarily.

Wei caught himself, sliding on the ground with his feet. Quickly, Serena handed Cj his Dex that was in his pocket.

"Here! All of his moves are listed."

Skimming the list, Cj noticed one move named "Vine Whip". That sounded like a good move to use.

"Quickly Wei, counter with Vine Whip!"

Wei's head points sharpened and extended toward Shauna's Pokemon. It cried in pain as Wei's point jabbed into it.

"It was super effective!" Cj cheered, "Good work, Wei! Keep it up, Vine Whip!"

Before the Froakie could stand and recover, Wei's points jabbed once more, even stronger this time. Cj grinned wide.

"Whoa, nice job! That one was a critical hit!"

The Froakie could barely move at this point. It whimpered as it attempted to stand but failed, falling down. Shauna clenched her fists angrily.

Cj commanded Wei to strike once more. As he attempted to, a magical blue barrier stopped him, forcing his attack to ricochet. Wei stepped back, a little unsteady from the block.

"Are you crazy?!" Shauna yelled at Cj, "It's fainted! You can't attack it anymore!" With that, she used her Pokeball to return it.

"Oh, I-I didn't know!" Cj gasped returning his own Pokemon now.

Shauna sighed, shaking her head. Pulling out her wallet, she handed him prize money.

"Here. For your win."

Cj was a little surprised, "Oh, thank you!"

Tapping her head, Shauna smirked, "Didn't think Vaniville had any decent trainers in its ranks. I suppose I was wrong."

As she started to walk away, Shauna looked back at Cj.

"Hope we can battle again, cutie."

And with that, she was gone.

Serena sighed, attempting to calm herself. She looked to Cj, who was still a little flustered from the whole thing.

"Heal up, you'll need the strength while going through the forest," Serena suggested, signalling to his bag. Cj almost forgot about it. He was sure his mother packed some potions in there.

Riffling through it, he found one. Cj sent out his injured Pokemon. Wei was visibly scratched and bruised but was still in fit form for the most part. Cj bent down, looking to Wei.

"Hey, let me use this to heal you up," Cj requesting, grabbing up one of Wei's tiny arms. Wei shuttered at the sight of the spray in Cj's other hand.

"I-is that a Potion? Those sting, y'know!" he whined.

Spraying him anyway, Cj cracked a grin, "Don't be such a baby, Wei. It's for the best."

He winced in pain as the mist hit his wounds. Rapidly, the small cuts started to seal and the bruises fade. They were both a little surprised at the rate at which they healed.

Jumping back on Cj's head, Wei nodded, "They really work then! Good to know."

Clemont looked to the tall grass ahead of them. Looking back to his brother, Clemont motioned to the grass.

"Hey Cj," he called, "You can catch Pokemon up here if you want. It'd be a good idea to expand your party."

Serena added, "Just look for wild Pokemon. They jump out anyway."

Nodding, Cj snuck through the grass slowly. He noticed that Wei laid flatter on his head, as if to also be sneaky. After a couple of steps, he saw a silhouette. It was a sort of bunny type Pokemon, gray in color. It's ears stood tall, the tips being a brown hue, contrasting the surrounding gray. As Cj approached it, he pulled out his Pokedex to scan it. As he did, the device blared out " **BUNNELBY** ". It continued to spurt out information on it, alarming both the Pokemon and Cj alike.

Realizing that his cover is blown, he quickly reached for a Pokeball. Chucking it, the ball thumped the poor thing. The ball opened, forcing out a brilliant red gleam that surrounded the Bunnelby. Vaporizing it, the beam retracted into the ball. The device shook gently on the ground, as if the Pokemon attempted to escape. It shook once, twice, three times before the ball sat still. The Pokemon must've stopped struggling. Cj went over into the grass, picking up the Pokeball.

Serena ran over to him. She seemed a bit surprised.

"I'm very surprised you caught that Pokemon without battling," she said, "Most of the time, you have to weaken the Pokemon before you can catch it."

Clemont nodded, "Pokemon will attempt to escape the ball. That's what the shaking was. Depending on the strength of both the ball and the Pokemon determine the catching rate. It's a bit like a scale, you see. It's good to have a balance, or tilt it to your side."  
Cj looked down at his new Pokemon in its ball, "That makes sense."

"Hey, let's see what you caught!" Serena suggested happily. Cj tossed the ball out, the Pokemon forming in front of it. The Bunnelby noticed all of them staring at it, and it blushed a little, closing its eyes and laughing gently.

"Oh my, I seem to have an audience," it said. Looking to Cj, it introduced itself.

"My name is Opal, my trainer. How do you do?" she did a curtsy, or at least, the Bunnelby equivalent.

Serena smiled, "What a cute Pokemon!"

Bending down, she pulled a ribbon out from her bag. Serena tied it around one of Opal's ears, to her surprise.

"I normally use these for my hair, but since I'll be out so much, I don't think I'll have time to do my hair in such a way."

Opal grinned happily, nodding in thanks. Cj bent down, patting Opal's head softly.

"I'm Cj by the way," he said. She greeted him once more in a reserved nature. All this time, Wei was staring at her with a bright blush as if in a trance. Cj could hear him reasoning with himself.

"No, Wei! No feelings! Don't even think of her like that! These are times of battle, not loving!"

Placing him down off his head, Cj scooted Wei close to Opal. Wei blushed even brighter as Opal tilted her head a little.

"Go on, Wei," Cj encouraged, "Talk to her!"

Wei cleared his throat, "U-uh… Um, hello!"

Giggling, Opal greeted him back, "Why hello, Wei. Good to meet you."

Cj placed his fist on his hips proudly, puffing his chest. Serena tried to hold back a laugh as she looked at him doing something so silly.

"Well, that makes one Pokemon!" he announced, "Time for another!"

Cj ran into the tall grass, looking for a new Pokemon. Unlike last time, a Pokemon jumped out at him! A raccoon-like creature popped out, and Cj used the Dex to find out what it was. The device read "ZIGZAGOON". Nodding, Cj tossed out an empty ball eagerly. The ball flew toward the Pokemon, thonking it on the head. Unlike last time though, it fell the ground idly, instead of trying to capture the Zigzagoon. Being startled now, the thing ran away.

Confused, Cj picked up the ball again. From the middle ring, a holographic ring spun around the ball slowly. It read, "This device is currently disabled." Check his bag, Cj gasped as he saw all his Pokeballs were the same way. Maybe they were faulty?

Clemont noticed Cj's distress.

"What's up?" he asked him. Cj showed the Pokeball, still a little confused at the whole situation. Clemont was puzzled as well. He had never seen anything like this before. The Pokemon League is famous for having top of the line equipment, hiring only the best engineers and designers to create their products. Their stuff almost never malfunctions.

They ran a bit of an experiment. Since she had gotten the same exact Pokeballs from the same shop, Serena tried to capture a Pokemon. And she succeeded without the device failing. When Cj tried once more, the same thing happened. Cj even used one of Serena's Pokeballs, and still, nothing. All three of them were bewildered.

"It's fine, I'll just have to purchase different Pokeballs when we get to Santalune," Cj told them, trying to mask his worry, "M-maybe there's something up with these ones."

This was such a peculiar circumstance. He just hoped it would fix itself.

Clemont shook his head. There was something more to this. Why would his brother only be able to catch one Pokemon before the Pokeballs stopped working? Shouldn't they just not work at all? Perhaps something triggered this? Clemont decided to wait before he made any conclusions.

The three of them continued to press forward. The path in front of them led to the thick forest of Santalune. Trees stretched forever on either side, but people had clearly carved out a chunk of this place out for a route to the next town. Areas of tall grass and undergrowth sprung up in various locations around the path. The trees were so big and tall, that almost all sunlight was blocked out. Only small beams of light filtered through the cracks between the tree leaves. The nature trail was really quite beautiful. Cj was a little ashamed he and Serena hadn't ever come here for a date of the likes.

Scanning the gravel pathway, Cj could see a handful of kid and teen trainers battling all around. A couple of trainers were even in the tall grass. As the three of them walked down the path, Wei and Opal lagged behind a bit, conversating. Noticing them, Cj nodded to himself.

"Good to know they are getting along," he thought.

The trio noticed a rough part of the path. It had been overgrown by lack of use. Tall grass sprouted out from the dirt where the path normally lay. Clemont sighed, looking backward on the path. Nope, this was the only way to go. He had hoped they had missed a turn or something.

"We'll have to walk through it. Watch out for wild Pokemon," he warned, readying a Pokeball.

As they slowly made their way through the grass, Cj spotted something out of the corner of his eye. A small red bird Pokemon sat on a tree, staring directly at them. Cautiously, he lifted his Dex from his bag, scanning it.

" **FLETCHLING** ," it sounded, " **the Tiny Robin Pokemon. Despite the beauty of its lilting voice, it's merciless to intruders that enter its territory."**

Cj's let out a nervous laugh, "We're in its territory, aren't we?"  
And in an instant, the Fletchling swooped down toward Cj at an alarming rate, Barely having time to step back, Cj felt the whoosh of air fly past his face as the bird made a near miss. It doubled back, this time not flying at him. It stopped being a couple feet from him, daring not to land on the ground. Doing nothing for a moment, the two stared at each other.

Clemont scratched his neck, "I suppose he wants to battle you. Perhaps for his territory?"  
Nodding, Cj pulled out Opal. Knowing she was underleveled compared to Wei, he wanted Opal to get stronger.

"Alright then. Opal, use Tackle!"

She started to make a dash toward the Pokemon. As she moved, Opal studied everything about this Pokemon. The way it moved, its features, as if to find a weakness. Suddenly, she slid under the hovering Pokemon. The Fletchling tweeted in surprise. Opal then sprang up, slamming the bird from behind. It cried out, flying up in the air, before it caught itself. It was its turn to attack. As it did to Cj, it swooped down from the sky, aiming its sharp beak right toward Opal's body.

"Dodge, quick!" Cj shouted. Using her quick speed, Opal dodged without fail. Caught off guard, the Fletchling panicked. Crying out something awful, the bird forced both Cj and Opal to cover their ears.

Clemont grunted, trying his best to block out the sound.

"Ack, it used Growl!" he told Cj, "your Pokemon's attack will be lowered!"

He shook his head, "No problem, we can finish it. Opal, tackle it again!"

This time, she used a more head on approach, going straight for the Pokemon's chest. Springing off the ground even harder this time, she used her skull to bash right into the Fletchling's chest. Falling to the ground, the Pokemon murmured out cries weakly. Cj checked his Pokeballs once more, just to be sure. He gasped to find that the disable ring was gone! Grabbing out one quickly, he threw it at the defenseless Pokemon. Like before, it shook a few times. After what felt like an eternity of waiting, the ball stopped moving, and an audible click broke the endless tension. Letting out a huge sigh of relief, he scooped up the ball in his hand.

Seeing that the Pokeballs were now functional, he attempted another catch. After walking around in the grass, he found a new Pokemon. It was a weird bug Pokemon, like he had never seen before. Pulling out his Pokedex, Cj allowed the device to search the new Pokemon.

" **SCATTERBUG** ", the device called, " **When under attack from bird Pokémon, it spews a poisonous black powder that causes paralysis on contact**."

"Better not send out my Fletchling then…" Cj thought.

Rustling in his bag, Cj got out a ball. In the corner of his eye, he noticed the ring had reappeared. He couldn't believe it! The ball slipped out of his hand, falling to the ground. This alerted the Scatterbug, causing it to flee.

Cj grabbed his head in frustration, shaking it.

"What's different? I don't get it!" he yelled out.

Clemont grabbed the broken ball, looking at it. They now possessed the ring, like before. Thinking hard, his brother fell silent. As Clemont contemplated, Cj could see his brow furrow as he did this. As time went on, Clemont thought even harder.

"Hmm…"

Clemont finally stopped pondering, simply nodding.

"I think I get it."

Cj jumped back a bit, "R-really?"

"There must be something causing the Pokeballs to malfunction. I have no idea what or why, but that's clearly the case. As I've said, there's never been a report of them acting in this way."

Clemont added, "It would seem that the Pokeballs only work once per Route."

Serena frowned, "Well, Cj can't just go on without being able to catch any Pokemon!"

Looking at all the Pokemon he had already obtained, Cj disagreed.

"I believe I can make do. It shouldn't matter how many Pokemon you have, just as long as you can care for and train them properly."

Clemont nodded, "Most Trainers only have a small amount of Pokemon. Very rarely will you find one with all six slots filled. Even Gym Leaders don't use all six."

"Besides," Cj added, "We are almost to Santalune City. If it is just the Pokeballs themselves, then the problem will be solved."

Serena looked to Cj, "And if it isn't the Pokeballs?"

Cj sighed, "Then… I suppose I have an interesting journey ahead of me."


	3. Chapter 3: Melioration

Cj, Serena and Clemont had made it out of the forest finally. The three of them approached Route 3, a rather simple, short and open path that lead to Santalune. They could see the town in the distance, it's lively lights brightening up the dusk sky. A couple of kids were hanging out here and there, all of their school uniforms and backpacks still on. Cj was surprised since neither Vaniville or Aquacorde had many trainers, so to see the younger kids playing and battling with Pokemon seemed foreign to him.

As they passed, a few of the school kids challenged them. Of course, who could refuse a battle? After having a couple one sided battles, the crew arrived to Santalune unscathed with their Pokemon being higher leveled as an added bonus. Serena looked to the Blanc brothers, who were idly chatting beside her.

"Cj, I'm going to part ways with yo, unfortunately."

He looked a bit astonished, "O-oh? Why's that?"

She pointed to a road sign at the far side of town. It was holographic, the bright light gleaming the numbers "twenty-two".

"My parents are just past that route. They are on Victory Road."

Clemont chuckled, "Serena, even if your parents are Victory Road trainers, they won't let you through. They won't even let me through, and I'm a Gym Leader!"

"I know that, dummy," Serena teased, "my parents wanted to meet me outside the gates. Dad wanted to see my team."

Cj nodded, "I'm sure they'll be delighted to see your strong team."

Sighing, she looked down, "I hope so…"

With that, she made her way off to see her parents. As they sat on a nearby wooden bench, Clemont let out a weary sigh, looking up to the sky. The evening sun reflected brightly off his glasses, threatening Cj's eyes with their striking beams. Pushing up his glasses, the sun retreated from the glass.

"So, I guess you really are going on this adventure, huh?" Clemont laughed, "Darn. That's pretty crazy."

Smirking, Cj noted, "Not as crazy as a thirteen year old running a Gym."

They both exchanged a few laughs. Cj sank back in the bench, tired from the trek in the woods. Clemont sighed once more, looking down this time.

"Y'know, I'd hate to admit… but I'm a bit envious of you," he said, "I never had the chance to go on an adventure like this."

Cj looked to him, "I had to really work hard for this, Clem. But… c'mon man, you're the youngest Gym Leader in all of Kalos! Just because you don't to go on a grand adventure doesn't lessen your already impressive training career."

"And what's so grand about this anyhow?" Cj added, "I mean really, all I'm doing is testing this Dex. Who knows how far I'll get? Who's to say I won't even get past my first Gym?"  
Clemont attempted a laugh, "That's true. I suppose it's dumb for me to be jealous of you anyway. I've secured a position as a Gym Leader."

Suddenly, one of Cj's Pokeballs popped open. The beam hit the ground, and from it came Wei! He looked agitated…

"C'mon grandpas!" he growled, "You're so slow! Enough brother bonding, we got work to do!"

The two of them looked at each other, bewildered. Is his Pokemon… commanding him?

Another Pokeball popped open. This time, it was Cj's Fletchling. The red bird had a confident smirk on his beak, making a "tsk" sound. Its eyes were closed as it shook its head for dramatic effect. Wei gave a rather confused stare at the Pokemon.

"Who the heck are you?" Wei asked with a weirded out expression.

The Fletchling open one eye, the iris colored a fiery red, "Who am I? What a foolish question."

Puffing out its chest, it thrusted out one wing, placing the other one on its chest.

"I am but the manliest Fletchling of all the Santalune Forest! You may call me Deome, if you must."

Wei laughed, "Is this guy serious, Cj? What a joke!"

Deome glared at Wei with his red eyes, "Me? A joke? What an idiotic claim. And what are you then? A weakling?"

Wei growled, "I'll show you weak!"

At the nick of time, Opal popped out of her ball, putting herself between them. She placed both her small paws on them, pushing them away.

"Whoa! Settle yourselves now! You're one the same side!"

Deome gasped, using his tiny talons to hop back. His eyes widened as he looked at Opal.

"What have I done to be blessed with your presence, my dear? Might I inquire a name?"

Wei stepped in front of her, crossing his arms.

"Hey pal, back off. She isn't interested."

Opal spoke for herself now, "Wei, please. We are a team. You don't have to try to protect me from our allies. He's only trying to be friendly."  
"It seems like more than that to me!" Wei frowned. Opal sighed, moving around Wei's body barrier.

"Deome, correct? I'm pleased to make your acquaintance."

He nodded, "As am I, Opal."

Clemont looked down at them, letting out a laugh. He looked to his brother who was blushing a bit in embarrassment.

"Your Pokemon seem to be dramatic, huh?" he chuckled.

Cj gave a nervous laugh, "I guess so."

Scratching his neck, he looked to his team. The three of them noticed his stare and paid attention to him.

"Well, uh…" Cj started, "Um… You guys can stay out of your Pokeballs if you wanted. Guess it'd be better for you."

Wei nodded, "Good choice. I missed the comfort of your hat." With that, Wei hopped up on his head. Cj laughed, patting him.

"Kinda missed you up there too, Wei," he smiled.

The night was starting to fall fast on them. Clemont yawned again, rubbing his eyes.

"I think oughta turn in for the night, Cj."

Cj scratched his neck, "Okay but… where?"

"Oh right," Clemont laughed, "I forgot you are still new to this. If you are in town, you can obviously look for a hotel to stay in, but some towns don't have one. All Pokemon Centers have sleeping spaces, so keep that in mind. If you're on the road then… I suppose you'll have to camp."

Cj nodded, "Well then, I suppose the Pokemon Center will do. I uh… don't think I can afford a room. Those trainers I fought are all young kids, so I basically just have their allowance."

The two of them made their way toward the Pokemon Center. As they walked, Wei noticed something far off. Tapping Cj's head, he pointed to it.

"Hey, look…" he said, "Is that a Pokemon over there?"

Cj turned his attention over to where his Chespin pointed. Squinting his eyes to make it out, it looked to be a sort of bird Pokemon sitting on a fence post. Shrugging, Cj moved on.

"Yep, that's a Pokemon alright."

Wei shook his head, "No, stupid! Look what's beside it!"

Walking closer, Cj noticed that it was sitting next to a Pokeball, staring off into space. That was peculiar. Why would it just be sitting by a Pokeball all by its lonesome? Surely it should have a trainer with it…?

Clemont noticed too, wondering the same thing.

"Huh, that's odd. Doesn't look like it's trainer is around," Clemont observed. As they walked up even closer, Cj could make out its features. The bird was a brown color with a cream colored underside. Its beak was short and had a pale pink color. The three toes it had were colored the same way. Its chest was a bit puffed out, a tuft of feathers making it seem a little bigger than it truly is. What struck Cj about its appearance is that it wore a bandana around its eyes, with holes to compensate for its eyes so it could see. The cloth being tied neatly in the back, the loose tendrils flowing gracefully in the breeze. Most Pokemon don't wear clothes… At least, that's what Cj thought. Whenever he tried to put any clothes on Spark, he'd give him a stern shock.

He grabbed out his Dex, allowing the device to identify the Pokemon.

"PIDGEY," the device blared, "A common sight in forests and woods. It flaps its wings at ground level to kick up blinding sand."

"Huh."

Clemont didn't dare to break the Pidgey's stare off in the distance, curious as he was. He looked to his brother.

"Maybe his Trainer lost him, Cj," Clemont suggested, "I think you can use your Dex to scan the Pokeball and see who the Pidgey belongs too."

Doing so, Cj used the Dex to scan it. The device showed a loading spin as it attempted to read data. It was taking a long time, and the two brothers looked at each other with worry. Finally, the Dex gave up, reading "No information found."

"So it's empty…?" Cj said lowly, thinking aloud.

It was then that the Pokemon noticed their presence. A bit startled, it made a short chirp. It's eyes opened up wider as it noticed what they were. Using its beak, it rolled the Pokeball off the post. It rolled right to Cj's feet.

Clemont shrugged, "Perhaps… it was waiting for a Trainer to catch it?"

Cj picked up the ball. It didn't have the disable ring around it! Gently, he tapped the ball against the Pidgey. The ball opened, shooting out a beam that encased the Pokemon, pulling it into the device. It shook in his hands, clicking after three shakes.

"It's not everyday that Pokemon wait for a trainer to catch them like that!" Clemont laughed.

Letting the Pidgey out of its ball. It landed gracefully back on the post. The Pokemon was only about a foot tall, so it had to use that post to be at a similar level to Cj. It looked to its Trainer, the brown eyes it had gentle, yet stern.

"I've been waiting long for this day," it spoke, its voice a bit gruff, even for a small creature like itself.

Lowering its head as if to bow, it continued, "I am called Yukko. I've been waiting for a worthy Trainer to use me as an instrument of victory."

Wei sighed, "I think every new teammate I get is more insane than the next."

Cj laughed, "I suppose I'll have to do then, Yukko."

Yukko nodded, "A modest trainer, eh? I feel we will get along well." He proceeded to scan his other teammates, as if studying every fiber of their being. Finally, he smiled.

"And a valiant team. I think we have a recipe for success right here."

With the new addition to the team, Cj and Clemont made their way to the Center. As they opened the door, they could see other trainers too, tuckered out from their own journey. A couple of them were in sleeping bags, a few resting on the lounge's furniture. Cj examined his own pack. In the pile of food and other necessities crammed in his relatively small messenger side bag, there was a compactly folded sleeping bag. How his mother fit _that_ in there, he'll never know.

"Hey, there's an open couch over here," Clemont pointed out. Walking over there, Cj shrugged.

"How about you take it, Clem? I've gotta get used to sleeping in my sleeping bag anyway," he suggested. And with that, they laid down to rest.

After an hour or so, Clemont had fallen fast asleep, his soft breathing adding to the orchestra of snores in the room. Wei slept close to Cj, his arm around the small creature as it curled up next to him. Opal laid silent, resting her body on the couch. Deome was next to her, using Cj's bag as a makeshift pillow. His face was tucked into his chest, making him look rather silly.

Everyone was asleep. Except Cj. He never slept well in a new place. Often he'd hate to go to friends' houses because he'd never get sleep. Laying there in the cool room, Cj had a moment to think.

"There's something wrong with my equipment…" he whispered to himself, "But, what if the problem isn't just these Pokeballs? It kinda feels like I have a curse…"

He noticed a figure perched on the arm of the couch Clemont was sleeping. Using his elbow to prop himself up, Cj looked to see what it was. The moonlight peering into the big, arched glass window to the right shone bright, illuminating the figure's face. It was Yukko, sitting there silently, staring off as if deep in thought.

"I see that you couldn't sleep either, Master Cj," Yukko said lowly, his rash voice amplified by the low volume.

"Erm, yes. I have difficulty sleeping in unfamiliar places…" Cj told him.

Yukko sighed, "For me, it's the journey that lay before me. It's too exciting to get rest."

Cj now sat up, Wei mumbling something as he crawled away and fell back to sleep.

"I've been meaning to ask, Yukko. Why did you wait there on that post? Couldn't have you, say, jumped out at a trainer and try to make them capture you that way instead?"

Yukko kept his gaze forward as he spoke, "Yes, that'd be a simple way to do so. But I didn't want just any Trainer. Many people have passed me, wondering who I was waiting for. But when I saw you... I felt like it was destiny, Master Cj."

"I see… and um, Cj will do."

Yukko shook his head, "Master is your title. I must call you by it, else I'd be disrespecting you, no?"

"Do as you will, I guess."

Yukko now looked to me, "Say, what is your purpose for the adventure?"

"What's the purpose…?" Cj wondered himself. Cj had trouble answering that one. If his task was to simply test the Dex, he could've just stayed home. Though it's true he's always wanted to be a trainer, he questioned if he had what it took.

"The hope that I can be a good trainer, alongside the fact I have to test this thing," he said, flaunting the Dex, "I suppose only time will tell."

Yukko smiled, "An honorable mission. I too hope that I can become a good Pokemon. To get stronger."

The two of them carried on a conversation for a bit until Cj finally fell asleep. Noticing that he was asleep, Yukko grinned, closing his eyes.

"Good night… Cj."

As he awoke, Cj smelled a potent scent of tea in the air. In a daze, he rose slowly from his sleeping bag. He looked about, noticing that everyone had tea. Clemont turned Cj's attention to him, handing him a mug.

"The Center gave all their patrons tea this morning."

Grabbing the cup, Cj shrugged, "That was nice of them."

The two them made their way out of the Pokemon Center, into the streets. The town was a lot more lively now, with the sun shining out bright. It was the weekend now, so most of the kids were out playing. A flower shop across the street saw a few customers browsing at their variety of flowers. Next to it, a couple of other market shops with food and produce. Clemont nudged Cj, pointing at a building far across the market.

"See that?" he asked, "That's a Gym. I believe the Leader there is Viola, a younger lady who specializes in Bug type Pokemon."

Cj looked at it too, "Bug type? It's weak to Flying type, isn't it?"

Clemont nodded, "And if I remember correctly, you have _two_ Flying types."

"Hmm… I suppose I could take her on," Cj said.

Clemont motioned toward Cj's Pokemon, "I don't think so. Look at the level of your Pokemon, Cj."

Using his Dex, he looked up the stats of his Pokemon. They were all around level 7, as Cj tried to use them equally. Showing Clemont, he shrugged.

"They are all the same level, more or less," Cj showed. Clemont shook his head.

"Their levels probably aren't high enough to take on Viola. Her Vivillon is vicious and tends to be a hassle for the trainers that battle her. She wipes out teams with Vivillon's Infestation alone."

"She seems very strong," Cj said, "What can I do to beat her if my Flying types aren't enough?"

Clemont thought for a moment. He stepped forward a bit, motioning to the "Route 22" sign, as Serena did. Cj viewed the sign, then looked back to his brother.

"You'll have to train your Pokemon. Route 22 has tougher Pokemon, so you should be able to level your team up easily."

Cj frowned a bit, "What level should they be at?"

"Let's see…" Clemont had to consider. "Every Gym Leader bases their team off of how many badges their opponent has. Since you have none so far, I'd imagine she wouldn't have a Pokemon higher than Level 12."

Making his way toward the route, Cj sighed, "I suppose we should get started then. Come on, Clem."

Clemont called to his brother, "Wait!"

Surprised, Cj looked back to Clemont.

"I've gotta check in with my Gym, so I'll stay behind. Meet me in the Pokemon Center when your done."

Clemont added with a bit of a cocky smirk, "You'll probably be going there a lot anyway, newbie."

Cj grinned a bit too, "Just you wait, Clem! I'll take you and your Gym and win!"

The two parted, and Cj was left alone. His Pokemon were around him, Wei and Deome arguing of course. It was mostly Wei getting upset over Deome's arrogant remarks, and Opal trying to calm them. Yukko was silent as he walked alongside the team.

"This training will serve as a great opportunity to show you my strength, Master," Yukko finally said without looking at him, "I promise to be as good as I can possibly be."

Cj scratched his neck, "You don't have to show off to me, Yukko. I don't expect all of you to be the best there is. I know I certainly am not."  
Wei stopped arguing with Deome to intersect into Cj and Yukko's conversation.

"Hey, don't discount me! I'm the best Chespin you know, Cj!"

"You're the _only_ Chespin I know," Cj smiled.

"Exactly! Therefor, I'm the best one!" Wei responded, hopping up on Cj's shoulder.

The group made it to the Route. Cj looked about it, remembering this exact place. But why? As he scanned the road, he noticed a couple ledges that were present in a long stretch of the road. The whole route was dust and circled around. It almost looked like… a track? Then it came to him. This was his mother's old training track! He remembered coming here as a young kid, watching his mother practice for whatever Rhyhorn race was upcoming. Smiling, it felt right that Cj would train in the same place his mother did. He just wish she didn't have to give up her racing…

Snapping back, Cj walked over to the rougher patches of grass. As he walked, he noticed a Pokemon by a nearby tree. It was sat up next to it, slumped over, staring at the ground below it. It looked deep in thought. It was blue but had black parts on its body too. Its legs and part of its torso were a smoky black color, and it had an odd black mask looking pattern on its face. Its red eyes looked down woefully. Something was definitely bothering it, and oddly enough, Cj felt as if he could feel its emotions too.

Whipping out the Dex, Cj allowed it to scan the Pokemon.

"RIOLU" the Dex said, " It uses the shapes of auras, which change according to emotion, to communicate with others. The aura that emanates from its body intensifies to alert others if it is afraid or sad."

"Well, I get your message loud and clear, Riolu," Cj said quietly.

As he came closer, the Pokemon snapped to alertness, detecting him. Quickly, Cj sent out Deome to assist him.

"Deome, use Growl to stun him!" Cj commanded. Nodding, Deome flew up close and let out a shrieking call. The other Pokemon was forced to block the sound, its face expressing the pain it felt. Once again, Cj could feel how it did too.

His Pokeballs seemed to be active again, further solidifying Clemont's hypothesis. Tossing it at the Pokemon, the ball hit and captured the Pokemon inside. And with three shakes, the deal was sealed.

Cj quickly grabbed up the Pokeball, letting out his newly captured partner. It looked up to him, its eyes stern but not threatening.

"I was not expecting someone to capture me," the Riolu said, "But it'd be in your best interest to let me free. I am of no use?"

Cj was stunned, "Huh? What do you mean, you're a Pokemon! All Pokemon are useful."

He shook his head, "You don't understand. I'm… not like the other Riolus you could find here. I can't read auras like they can."

"Well, you seemed to emit them well enough," Cj tried to console, "I felt your distress."

The Riolu looked a bit surprised, "R-really? But my aura doesn't function… The trainer girl that passed by here didn't feel, and neither have the other Trainers on this Route…"

It must be talking about Serena. Cj almost forgot she went past here.

"Master Cj is quite incredible, he probably picked it up for that reason," Yukko explained.

"I think you give me too much credit," Cj laughed. Standing up, he shook his head "Even if your aura is broken or whatever, that doesn't matter. I'd take you as you were. "

The Riolu seemed confused, "I don't understand, shouldn't you Trainers be looking for only the best Pokemon?"

Cj shook his head, "That's no way to look at it. It shouldn't matter how strong a Pokemon is. The point of a Trainer is to care for the Pokemon they catch and train them to be the best they can be!"

"Besides, I'm in no condition to be choosy with my Pokemon."

The Riolu looked down, thinking. Still, it didn't understand why Cj would want to keep it. Finally, it sighed.

"Well, if you insist, I will do my best to be your Pokemon. My name is Poe, by the way."

Cj smiled, "Well Poe, you're in luck. We are out training today. We are going to defeat our first Gym!"

Poe's jaw dropped, "A Gym?!"

The team spent all day, training vigorously for the battle with Viola. The Gym would be the toughest challenge yet, proving not only the strength of his Pokemon, but of Cj himself. It would show if he truly had what it takes to be a Trainer.


	4. Chapter 4: Day to Remember

It had been two days. Cj's team trained relentlessly in that time, gaining experience and leveling for the battle with Viola today. He had recently woken up, sore from all that they had done. All his Pokemon seemed a bit exhausted as well, but all ready for what was to come next. Clemont was now with them again, and he hadn't had any luck trying to contact the Gym. The power was still out, he assumed. After eating breakfast (Cj made sure to find one that served Pokemon as well, as he knew they deserved a good meal after all that leveling), Cj stood in front of the Gym.

A flight of stairs were the only thing between him and the answer to his question. Was he a good trainer? Clemont came up beside him.

"You don't have to be nervous," Clemont grinned, patting Cj's back, "two fifths of your Pokemon have a type advantage. And none of them are weak to Bug, so there's that."

Cj sighed, "I know. I'm just really on edge."

"Hey, I'll give you these," Clemont said, handing Cj a few items, "They're a couple of Potions. I bought some for the forest, but I didn't end up using any."

Cj looked down at them, "Am I allowed to use these in battle?"

Clemont nodded, "Yup. Most Trainers don't use many, if any at all though. I guess just to make it a fair battle? But Gym Leaders do, so watch out for that."

"Okay, thanks for the advice. I think I'm ready now."

The two of them of them made their way toward the Gym. Cj looked at the entrance of the Gym, feeling a nervous sweat coming on. This was it. He opened up the door, walking in. The atmosphere of the building was light, photographs artistically hung up around the room, making it almost look like a museum. The walls were a pure white and the floor was made of polished wood. Some kid came up to Cj. He looked like he'd been playing outside, as dirt and minor scuffs were present all over his skin. A bug net was in one of his hands, the thing swung over his shoulder. He gave Cj a scowl, as if judging him on sight.

"Huh? Who are you?" the kid said in a mocking tone. He inspected Cj for a moment, "Where are all of your badges?"

Cj looked away, "I uh… Don't have any…"

The kid laughed, "Hah! We don't accept newbies in our Gym. Now scram, little man!"

"Little man?" Cj thought, "I'm at least 10 years older than you!"

"He's allowed in here," a stern feminine voice called out, "Remember, we accept any challenge here."

A woman approached them. There was a camera strapped to neck, occasionally bouncing off her white tank top. She wore teal cargo shorts and purple boots. Her hair was cut to be a sort of blonde bob, and she quickly adjusted her bangs.

She reached out her hand for a handshake.

"My name is Viola. I'm the Leader of this Gym."

Cj meet her hand with his, shaking it, "I'm Cj… I guess I'll be battling you."

Viola noticed Clemont behind Cj. He was using Cj's Pokedex to research more about the Bug type, probably to help out his brother. Looking up, he saw Viola's gaze and waved.

"Geez, I didn't expect you here Clemont!" Viola said happily, "I woulda cleaned this place up a bit."

Cj glanced at his brother, "Huh? Do you know her?"

He nodded, "Naturally. We technically are colleagues after all."

"All of the Kalos Gym Leaders know each other on some level. Clemont here caught my attention particularly, since he's so young. In fact, he beat me out for the youngest Gym leader here in Kalos!"

Clemont shrugged, closing his eyes, "Plus, our Gyms aren't that far apart. We sometimes come together for training or to swap strategies."

Viola looked to both of them, switching her gaze between the two.

"You look very similar," she said, "Are you perhaps brothers?"

Cj nodded, "Yeah. He's my younger brother."

She laughed a little, "Weird that the younger one would be a Gym Leader…"

"And that you started being a trainer way later than me," Clemont added with a smirk. Cj blushed angrily as the two of them laughed together. Viola smiled, motioning with her camera.

"How about a photo you two? A little precursor to the battle, hmm?"

Roughly grabbing up Cj's neck with his arm, Clemont pulled him down to his level with a grin, "Okay, ready!"

They both laughed and smiled for the photo. Viola peered into the screen on the back of the camera, seeing how the picture turned out. "Got it!"

Shaking off the friendly demeanor she had, Viola tightened up and looked into Cj's blue eyes.

"Alright. I think we still have a battle to do, Cj."

He nodded with hesitation.

"And you have no badges, right?"

"No. This is my first Gym battle incidentally."

She started to head for a door behind her. Telling Cj follow her, she entered the room. Clemont waited outside for Cj. It looked like a decently sized arena with white lines clearly defining where the trainers and Pokemon went. The floor was fashioned to look like a spider web, probably to fit the theme of her being a Bug trainer. The room was dim and every step echoed throughout its mute atmosphere. Viola walked over to the far end of the Gym, and stood there patiently. Cj followed, going to his end. Clemont stood a ways behind him.

As he stepped on the marked out arena, the white line glowed a brilliant blue, as if coming to life. Beside both of them, a cylindrical tube appeared, mist spurting out as it started to rise. It stopped as it came about hip length to Cj. Viola called out to Cj.

"Please insert your Pokedex or Trainer Card into the slot," she instructed. He noticed an opening on top of the tube, one for the Dex and one for a ID. Carefully placing the Dex in, Cj watched as the machine lowered it into itself, closing off the top. Just then the room lit up as two huge monitors came to life. The both displayed the text "Analyzing…" to signify that the machine was reading data off his Dex. For some reason, after a moment it read, "Data corrupted".

"Huh. That's never happened," Viola said as the Dex was spat out by the machine, "Try your Trainer Card instead."

Nodding, Cj placed it in. After a moment, it displayed information about him, like his name and team, their levels, and other miscellaneous info to tell the Gym Leader who she's facing, all scanned from the card. It slid out, and Cj put it back in his bag.

Just then on Viola's side, the tube shot out a drawer that contained a selection of Pokeballs. Grabbing out two of them, she looked to her opponent. The monitors displayed the two Pokemon she selected.

"Trainer Calem Blanc," she called out, "I challenge you as your first Gym Leader. For that reason, I have selected two Pokemon: Surskit and Vivillon. You may send out your first Pokemon."

Nodding, he filed through the Pokemon. "She's a Bug type Gym Leader so… I suppose Deome would be a good choice," Cj thought to himself.

Tossing out the Pokeball, Cj yelled, "I select my Fletchling!"

She gave a grin to Cj, "I see you are up to speed on your type advantages. I suppose I'm not battling a rookie. But I wouldn't get cocky if I were you."

"Trust me, I'm not the type to do so," Cj said under his breath nervously.

She looked to the battlefield. She grabbed one of the Pokeballs that she'd selected.

"In that case, I lead with Surskit!" Viola said, tossing the ball into the arena. It opened, sending out her Pokemon. It was a weird blue and yellow bug, almost spider like. The point on its head was yellow while the rest of it was blue. It looked prepared for battle, reflecting its Trainer's expression. Cj had memorized his Pokemon's moves due to all the training he did. Deome has Peck, Tackle, Quick Attack and Growl as of now. He knew that Viola was most likely going to use her Surskit as cannon fodder and weaken his Pokemon for when they face the real threat: Vivillon.

Deome waited patiently for orders. Cj closed his eyes, preparing mentally for the battle. After a moment, his eyes snapped open.

"Deome, use Peck!" Cj commanded. Obliging, Deome dashed in the air. Pointing his beak directly at the opponent's small body, he shot down like a spear. Its eyes widened right before Deome made impact. The Surskit slid back, still standing after the hit, but wounded. Quickly glancing at the screen to the side, Cj saw that it displayed both their HPs. Surskit was now below half.

It was now Viola's turn to attack. "Quick Surskit, use Bubble!"

Nodding, the Pokemon jetted out countless bubbles toward Deome. It look like it hit him for a lot of damage, as he struggled to recover. His health tanked to about the same area as Surskit's. Standing up more strongly now, Deome smirked at the opponent.

"My my, you are certainly feisty. But I'll swoon you sooner or later." he mocked. The Surskit squinted at Deome, more riled up now.

Suddenly, Viola shouted out another command.

"Surskit, hit it with a Quick Attack!"

Gasping, Cj watched as the bug dashed at light's speed toward Deome, slamming into him before he had a moment to react. He tumbled clumsily to the ground, struggling more to get up. The bar now dipped into the red zone, his Pokemon only having a little energy left. This next move had to count.

Coughing, Deome looked up to Cj, "

"Deome, strike it with Peck once more!" Cj yelled. Deome listened, hitting the opponent even harder this time. The Surskit fell slump on the ground, unable to battle further. Viola tapped the nub on the Pokeball and Surskit returned inside of it.

"You don't mess around, I'll tell you that," Viola noted with a small grin, "But this Vivillon will give you a run for your money.

Cj knew that Deome couldn't battle for much longer. He had to switch him out. Viola sento out the Vivillion, and Cj saw its beautiful wings. It was a magnificent and stunning creature in its own, and Cj was surprised that a bug could look like that.

It was now time to act. He'd have to use a turn to switch out Deome. Using the ball that belonged to Deome, Cj returned his Fletchling.

"Come back, Deome!" He still had Yukko left, and he knew that he'd be able to handle it.

Viola smiled, "Switching out, huh? You're gonna use a turn for that, y'know."

"I know. I'm putting my faith in my next Pokemon."

Sighing a bit in hopes that Yukko will pull through, Cj tossed the ball onto the playing field. Yukko came out, looking determined as ever. The ends of his bandana flowed gently, as if a breeze was under it. Though, Cj felt no difference in the air…

"Another Flying type?" Viola said with a cocked eyebrow, "Man, this'll be interesting. But I'm afraid I get the first strike."

Pointing directly at Yukko, she commanded her Vivillon.

"Use Harden to increase your Defense!" Cj was amazed as the Pokemon seamlessly made its exoskeleton harder. Yukko will have a tougher time getting damage off now.

Finally, Cj could attack.

"Quickly, Sand Attack!" he barked. Flying just below it, Yukko used his wings to kick up some sand. He directed it toward Vivillon's eyes. Hopefully, this will allow Vivillon to miss.

Viola seemed to be getting frustrated, "Now, Infestation!"

Vivillon's eyes glowed as it send a dark cloud toward Yukko. He gasped as it come over him, seeming to now be inside him. He winced, pain rippling over his body. The poor Pokemon could hardly move.

"What the hell kind of move was that?" Cj asked in fright.

Viola smirked, "That's my Vivillon's signature move, Infestation. It locks onto a target, not allowing it to escape for four turns. It slowly drains the targets life away." Yukko was locked up, grunting in pain. There was nothing Cj could do.

"Come on, Yukko! Break through it!" Cj cried.

This was Viola's time to turn the tide for her, "Again, hit it with Infestation!"

It summoned the dark cloud once more, and it took over Yukko more.

"I-I'm sorry Master…" Yukko managed to say. Cj shook his head.

"You can do it! Use Gust!"

Yukko managed to resist the Infestation. He locked his sights on the enemy, using all his strength to kick up a bunch of wind. The wind soared right toward the Vivillon, making it fly back and hit the wall. It look like it hit it for a good amount of damage.

"Infestation once more!" Viola ordered. Yukko could hardly take anymore of it. If he continued on like this, he'd surely faint. Cj noticed as the health bar dipped into the red.

It was his turn. Cj pondered for a moment. He could attack once more and try to get Vivillon down as much as he can. He wouldn't be able to switch out Yukko until next turn, or even the one after that. Cj knew that this hit had to count.

"You've got this Yukko! Use Tackle!" he said.

"I… I-I will not fail you, Master Cj!" Yukko shouted as a battlecry.

Yukko struggled to get his body moving. Cj could hear his grunts of effort and pain as he attempted to pull through. Running clumsily toward the Vivillon, Yukko used his body to collided with it. Both of them were very close to fainting. He could see that Yukko was close to collapsing and his breaths were heavy and labored. Cj felt Yukko's pain inside himself.

It was a new turn. Suddenly, the darkness within Yukko exploded out and vanished, become as thin as the air. He was finally free, but his life was depleted. Cj could switch him out!

Quickly, he retracted Yukko so he didn't faint. Clemont told him that he should avoid fainting as much as possible, and he wanted to follow his advice.

Viola looked to him, "Switching out again? In that case…"

She pulled out a Super Potion! She used the spray and all of Vivillon's wounds sealed and it sprang to life.

"...I'll be using a Super Potion."

No! All that work erased! Clenching his fists in anger, a wash of shame come over Cj. He had completely forgotten that Gym Leaders could use healing items in battle! None of the trainers did that, and neither had he.

Cj looked at his remaining Pokemon. It was time to make a choice. Wei was weak to Bug, or at least, that's what Cj recalled. And Poe wouldn't be able to hit Vivillon very hard. Opal was his only shot.

"I'm counting on you, Opal…" he whispered as he sent her out.

Opal glanced at the Vivillon, prepping herself for the intense battle ahead. She turned back to Cj, her eyes intent on winning.

"No worries, Cj. You can count on me!"

He recalled Opal's moves. Tired of Viola going first, Cj decided to use Agility.

"Use Agility, Opal," Cj told her. She went down on all fours, prepared to move quickly from now on. Viola shook her head.

"Alright, Vivillon. Lock her in with Infestation!"

Cj growled in frustration. What a cheap trick! And she kept on using it too, which made him even more upset. He just hoped that Opal could pull through and defeat Vivillon. Luckily, she didn't have anymore potions at hand. Cj could see that her supply was empty now.

The dark cloud grabbed a hold of Opal, infecting her. She coughed, trying desperately to rid herself of it. It was no use of course.

"Double-Slap, Opal! Hit that thing where it hurts!"

She broke free from the Infestation momentarily, dashing toward the Vivillon with lightning speed thanks to the Agility. It gasped as it saw Opal seamlessly disappear and reappear before it. Opal used her ear to slap it hard once, spinning the Vivillon about. Doing a twirl in the air, Opal came down hard with the last attack, causing Vivillon to slam toward the ground. Even though it only hit twice, the move still did decent damage.

The Vivillon looked a bit injured, but still able to fight normally. Opal was winded, most likely from the Infestation. She could sense Cj having doubt, as he was witnessing Opal weaken.

"Don't lose faith, Cj," she told him, "Even if I don't cause a victory, I know we won't fail!"

He smiled, but only to mask his worry, "I hope we can do it. Use Tackle this time."

She did, and the Vivillon's HP dropped to the red.

Viola pointed toward Cj's Pokemon.

"Once more with the Infestation!"

Opal cried out in pain as the dark cloud came again. Her HP fell to the yellow to Cj's dismay. She could take one more hit, Cj knew that, and the Vivillon couldn't. This was it, the turn that ends it all.

"Tackle again!" he shouted.

As Opal threw her body toward the Vivillon, it swiftly moved out of the way. Cj couldn't believe it. The attack missed. Opal growled as the Vivillon smirked at her shortcomings. Reluctantly, Opal stumbled back to Cj.

"Okay, I think she'll use Infestation again," he told Opal. She let out a nervous sigh and braced herself.

"Use Tackle!" Viola commanded with a small devious grin. She threw him off! Opal gasped in surprise. Her Pokemon jolted toward Opal. Using all of its mass, the Vivillon slammed into Opal. She cried out, flying back toward Cj. He swiftly caught her, and watched as the HP bar dropped to zero. That must've been a critical hit…

The Infestation cloud came out of Opal and all at once, tried to come back into her. Of course, the faint barrier stopped it, it's blue essence lighting up Opal's face. It was the same thing that happened with Shauna's Pokemon when Cj tried to attack her fainted Pokemon.

Suddenly, the barrier broke, shattering like glass. Cj's eyes widened as the Infestation flew inside his Pokemon. She cried out weakly, her eyes were shaking in fear as the disease took her breath away. Slowly, she stopped moving, her eyes' light fading. And just like that, her breath was gone.

Viola witnessed all this and ran as quick as she could over to Cj. Shocked and unable to move, he didn't resist as Viola scooped up Opal from his arms. She put her ear close to Opal's chest and gasped when she her no heartbeat. Her gasp was shaky, just as her arms were.

"T-that's not supposed to… This never… I-I…" she could barely even speak. Looking to the door desperately, she called out.

"S-somebody! Help us!"

Clemont came rushing in. He frantically looked at the two of them, trying to figure out what happened. As he came closer, he saw Opal there, lifeless. He too checked for a pulse but couldn't find one.

"S-s-she…" Cj sputtered out, "Is s-she… _dead_ …?"

Clemont didn't want to answer, "We have to rush her to the Pokemon Center, quick! C'mon, let's go!"

He grabbed Opal and dashed out the door, having to drag his brother out with him since he was still in shock. Viola watched them leave. She couldn't believe what had happened. Her Pokemon came up beside her, making mournful sounds. Patting it, Viola looked to the ground.

"I know, I know… You didn't mean to. This shouldn't have happened. The faint barrier is supposed to stop all damage after a Pokemon has fainted. Why didn't it work this time…?"

Indeed in Viola's time as a Gym Leader, nothing like this has ever happened. And she's never heard an incident like this happen before either. What's different this time? Why that kid? Her Vivillon was just as confused as she was.

Standing up, she looked to her Vivillon, whose face was pitiful and ashamed. It babbled something to Viola. She shook her head.

"Don't talk like that. Cj won't think that you meant to hurt his Pokemon like that. There has to be a reason this happened. There has to be…"

Vivillon nuzzled leg, causing something to fall out. It was metallic, as it echoed when it hit the floor. She glanced down to see what it was. It seemed like a Bug Badge fell out. Grabbing it up, Viola inspected it closely.

"You're right," she said softly, "he deserves this."

And with that, she exited her Gym.


End file.
